Our buddy Brent Cebul caught Trey and company down in Charlottesville on Saturday night for the Trey Anastasio Band fall tour closer. Check out his photos, his take on the show and the evening’s setlist.

Trey Anastasio brought his band to Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend, closing out their short fall run. It was a beautiful and lazy fall Saturday in central Virginia, and Trey’s usual following made the brick-paved Charlottesville Downtown Mall their own. But the frenzy that follows Phish was notably absent. Relaxed, a little older perhaps, this crowd spent the pre-show hours in restaurants rather than parking lots.

And when the lights when down, Trey delivered a show that reflected the mood. Buoyed by Tony Markellis’ bass, the band delivered reliable renditions of TAB standards, now classics. Whereas once Trey might have used Tony’s steady thumping as a foil for his own wide-ranging explorations, Trey and the horns mostly stayed on message: tight and funky. A few new ballads dot the TAB repertoire, too, perhaps a reflection of Trey’s own older, gentler approach to music-making.

While Phish continues to keep fans on their toes, TAB delivers a reliable package. Young kids just finding Trey were satisfied. But so were even younger kids on the shoulders of their parents who’ve known about Trey for decades

But the guy who seems to love TAB the most is, of course, Trey, himself. Radiating a vibe of proud papa rather than mad wizard (recall the guitar hoisting antics of earlier tours), Trey introduced the band, noting that Natalie Cressman – once-upon a time the kid wonder trombonist – is soon getting married. Russell Remington even worked some wedding march sax teases into a couple of jams. Rounding out this rendition of TAB – arguably the best – were Russell Lawton (drums), Ray Paczkowski (keys), and Jennifer Hartswick (horns, vocals). Smiles all around. You can picture this bunch working on crossword puzzles together.

This isn’t to say the energy wasn’t there. When it came time to rev it up – and TAB lives for those moments – the band delivered in spades. Highlights were “Money, Love, and Change,” a surprisingly early “Push on ‘Til the Day,” and, of course, Phish standards “Sand” and “First Tube.”